The Bookfest International Book Fair, Romania’s largest book fair, returns to the capital’s cultural events landscape. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Bookfest, which takes place from May 30 to June 1 at the Romexpo Exhibition Complex in Bucharest, near MoBu International Art Fair.
Tens of thousands of titles with spectacular discounts on the cover price, book launches in the presence of authors, children’s events, debates and round tables dedicated to current guild issues, film screenings and interactive events are just some of the reasons why Bookfest 2025 is expected to be a success. All Bookfest events will be open to the public for free, with visiting hours ranging from 10 to 20 hours per day.
This edition’s honoured guest is Portugal, which offers book lovers a diverse program ranging from launches and debates on classic novels of Portugal literature to events that reflect the popular culture so beloved by young readers and cultural events.
„‘Where the sea ends and the land awaits’ is the motto that will guide our presence at Bookfest. It is a slogan rich in meanings, but also a choice that brings together the most important Portuguese writers: they are the words that end the novel ‘The Year of Ricardo Reis’ by José Saramago, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature. Ricardo Reis is, however, also one of the heteronyms of Fernando Pessoa, one of the most brilliant Portuguese writers. Moreover, it is a paraphrase of José Saramago, through Pessoa, from ‘Lusiada’, by Luís Vaz de Camões, the most important literary figure in Portugal, whose era is the basis of Portuguese identity and who represents the main figure for our National Day, June 10.
‘Where the sea ends and the land awaits’ captures both the physical image of Portugal, as the place where the Atlantic meets the European continent for the first time, but it is also an evocation „an exciting journey that encompasses several symbols: discovery, mystery, nostalgia, adventure, longing, embarking on a journey whose destination is not yet known, but which is known to be full of events, even wonderful.
We therefore invite you to embark with us on this literary journey, in the months leading up to it, but also throughout the five days of the Bookfest”, said His Excellency, Mr. Paulo Cunha Alves, Ambassador of Portugal to Romania.
As in the previous editions, the public will have free access both within the salon and to all related events that will take place throughout the Bookfest.
At the previous edition of the Bookfest International Book Fair, over 170 exhibitors were present, the five-day program comprising over 400 events, from launches and debates to film screenings and interactive events. The guest of honour of the 2023 edition was Moldova. At the international editions of previous years, the invited countries were: Italia, Japan, Spain, Hungary, France, the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Poland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Sweden and the United States of America.
The Bookfest Book Fair has local editions in Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca, Târgu Mureş, Braşov and another international edition in Chisinau.
